How to Fix SPLwow64.exe Error on Windows?

Looking for easy ways to fix SPLwow64.exe error on Windows 10?

If you have been using Windows since the early days, you probably already know how common it is for this operating system to fail to respond, crash, and display errors. Sure, Windows has several helpful features that keep getting better, but the errors just do not seem to go away.

One such frustrating error that we came across recently is the SPLwow64.exe error, which mostly occurs when users are attempting to print something. There were instances, however, when this error appeared simply when users launched a program.

We had a look into this issue and found out that the error can be caused by a number of reasons, including corrupt system files, generic printer glitch, corrupt printer environment keys, and corrupt printer ports.

If you are facing a similar issue, you are in the right place because in this guide, we will walk you through all the relevant troubleshooting steps in detail. 

Let’s dive right in!

1. Run the Print Troubleshooter. 

If you are facing the SPLwow64.exe error on Windows while trying to execute a printing job, then the first solution that you should try is running the Print troubleshooter. 

The Print troubleshooter is an integrated utility that scans the OS for errors that can cause the printer to act up. If any issues are found, the Print troubleshooter will automatically fix them, with little to no user input. 

Moreover, Microsoft updates the Windows troubleshooting utilities regularly, so the Print troubleshooter is likely to solve the issue at hand. 

Here is what you need to do:

1. Open a Run dialogue box by pressing Windows + R keys simultaneously. 
2. Type ‘ms-settings:troubleshoot’ in the text field of the dialogue box and hit Enter. 
3. Inside the newly launched window, locate Printer under Get up and running and click on it. 
4. Select Run the troubleshooter and choose your printer from the list of options available. 

5. Now, wait for the troubleshooter to complete the scanning. If the troubleshooter identifies any issues, it will recommend you a fix. In this case, click on Apply this fix. 
6. Once the process is complete, restart your PC and check if doing so resolved the issue. 

If the issue was being caused by a corruption error within the system, then the Print troubleshooter will fix it. However, if the Print troubleshooter did not identify any issues, don’t worry and try following the next method below. 

2. Disable Client-Side Rendering. 

Some users encountered SPLwow64.exe error codes on their computers because they had enabled the ‘Render print jobs on client computers’ feature. The Splwow64.exe did not close automatically once the printing job was finished, and hence the error. 

If this scenario is applicable, then try disabling the ‘Render print jobs on client computers’ feature, and hopefully, doing so will resolve the issue. 

Here is what you need to do:

1. Open a Run dialogue box by pressing Windows + R keys simultaneously. 
2. Type ‘ms-settings:printers’ in the text field of the dialogue box and hit Enter. Doing so will launch the Printers & Scanners tab on your PC. 
3. Inside the newly launched window, click on the printer you think is causing the issue at hand and select Manage.

4. Now locate the Printer properties hyperlink and click on it. 
5. Inside the Properties screen, go to the Sharing tab and uncheck the box against Render print jobs on client computers.

6. Click on Apply to save the changes. 
7. Finally, restart your computer and check if disabling client-side rendering resolved the issue. 

Hopefully, you will be able to resolve the issue by following the steps we mentioned above. 

3. Modify Windows Registry Keys. 

If you do not know already, Windows Registry is a database that stores low-level settings for your operating system, the Windows. 

Windows refers to the Registry to collect relevant information about programs and applications within the operating system while executing certain tasks. Each program on Windows has a Registry key and if in any case that Registry key gets corrupted, the program will fail to operate, resulting in errors like the SPLwow64.exe error. 

If the first 2 methods did not work for you, then try modifying a few Registry keys to resolve the issue. 

Here is what you need to do:

1. Open a Run dialogue box by pressing Windows + R keys simultaneously. 
2. Type ‘regedit’ in the text field of the dialogue box and hit Enter. Doing so will launch Windows Registry. 
3. Inside the Registry Editor, navigate to the location mentioned below. 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Environments\Windows x64\Drivers

4. Now locate the Version-3 subkey and click on it once. Doing so will display its contents on your screen. 
5. Delete all the keys inside Version-3 and once done, close Windows Registry. 

6. Now type cmd in the search bar and click on Run as administrator to launch Command Prompt with administrative privileges. 
7. Inside Command Prompt window, type the command mentioned below and hit Enter. 

net stop spooler

8. Once the command is executed, open File Explorer and navigate to the location mentioned below. Do not close the Command Prompt window. 

C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\printers\

9. Delete all the contents of this folder. 
10. Next, navigate to the location mentioned below in File Explorer and delete the contents of this folder too. 

C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\x64\3

11. Once done, return to the Command Prompt window that you left open in the background and execute the command mentioned below. 

net start spooler

12. Finally, restart your PC. 

If corrupt Registry Keys were causing the issue at hand, this method should help you resolve it. 

4. Update Printer Drivers. 

If you haven’t updated your printer drivers in a long time, then now might be the right time to do so, as another common reason behind the SPLwow64.exe error is outdated printer drivers.

This method is simple, and should not take much of your time.  

Here is all that you need to do:

1. Open a Run dialogue box by pressing Windows + R keys simultaneously. 
2. Inside the text field of the dialogue box, type ‘devmgmt.msc’ and hit Enter. Doing so will launch the Device Manager window.
3. Inside the newly launched window, expand Print queues and right-click on the first printing device. 

4. Select Update driver and follow the on-screen instructions to proceed. 
5. Now, wait for the process to complete. Do the same with the rest of your printer drivers. 
6. Once all the drivers have been updated, restart your PC. 

In case outdated drivers were causing the issue under consideration, updating them will help you eliminate it easily. 

5. Try Using CleanMyPC. 

In case you haven’t done a deep cleaning of your PC for quite some time, you might want to do so now since the junk system files are another potential cause of the problem at hand. 

The task of identifying and deleting junk files is not an easy one and will consume both energy and time. It is easy to do it by using an effective PC cleaning application, and CleanMyPC is a top choice if you want a recommendation. 

CleaningMyPC is a reliable program that scans a computer, identifies problems, and fixes them with little or no input from the user. We personally love this tool, as it is very convenient for cleaning the PC and increasing the space, as well as enhancing the PC’s performance!

The system-maintenance tools in CleanMyPC can cover everything from slow PC performance to privacy issues. 

You only need to install it and then run a scan. The rest will be taken care of for you!

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Try CleanMyPC Now!

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6. Reinstall Printer Ports. 

If none of the methods mentioned above works for you, then there is a chance that your printer ports are corrupt. 

In this case, the troubleshooting methods mentioned above will not work for you, and the only way to resolve the issue is to reinstall the printer ports. 

Here is how you can do that:

1. Open a Run dialogue box by pressing Windows + R keys simultaneously. 
2. Inside the text field of the dialogue box, type ‘devmgmt.msc’ and hit Enter. Doing so will launch the Device Manager window.
3. Now locate the Print queues option and expand it. 
4. Right-click on the first printing device and choose Uninstall device. 

5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process and then repeat the same process for the rest of the print drivers under Print queues. 
6. Once done, locate the Universal Serial Bus controllers option in the same window and expand it. 
7. Uninstall all the printer ports in the list from here. 
8. Finally, restart your PC. Upon reboot, Windows will install the missing printers automatically. If it does not, you can install them from the manufacturer’s website as well. 

This should resolve the SPLwow64.exe error on Windows once and for all.

This wraps up our guide on fixing the SPLwow64.exe error on Windows. We tried walking you through all the steps in detail and hope that one of the methods did the trick for you. In case you have any questions regarding the troubleshooting methods, please let us know in the comment section below.

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂